All the Missed Moments
by Tonight's The Night
Summary: A series of Syaoran/Sakura drabbles. Drabbles range from slices of life to darker moments in the series. Requests are welcome. Rated T for language and darker themes.
1. Roses, Crowns, and Crippled Things

_Author's Notes:_

_I decided to start writing drabbles for Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. They'll be primarily Sakura and Syaoran drabbles, though I might spotlight other characters from time to time. I'll also be taking one-word prompts if you feel like reviewing._

_Three drabbles per chapter. Spoilers for the whole story. 100 words each unless I specify otherwise._

_Enjoy._

* * *

><p>1. Roses<p>

"Have a special someone waiting?"

Sakura glanced up from the bouquet, cheeks aglow. "Well . . ."

The shopkeeper smiled. "I know just the thing."

Half an hour later, Sakura stepped into the clay house where Syaoran lived.

"Good morning, Princess."

"Sakura," she corrected him, cradling the roses behind her back. "And today's the anniversary of the day we met."

His face burned red. "I—"

"You didn't _forget_?"

"No!" He pulled something from the desk behind him and held it out to her. A delicate fragrance filled her nose.

He was still blushing when he said, "I got you roses."

* * *

><p>2. Crown<p>

The golden circlet sat uncomfortably on her head. "It's too heavy, Touya!"

"Don't be a baby."

"How come I have to wear one and you don't?"

"I'm the king. I wear whatever I want."

Sakura glowered. Her brother smirked. "You're almost eight. It's time to grow up and start acting like a mature young woman."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don't wanna be a princess. I hate this crown."

A timid voice interjected. "I think it's pretty on you."

Sakura looked up, an unbidden smile curling her lips. "Okay, Syaoran, I'll wear it for you."

* * *

><p>3. Crippled (150 words)<p>

The faces staring back from the mirror were not her own.

Her legs goaded her forward, driven instinctively to flee. And yet, whenever her injured leg hit the floor, pain lanced through her bones and crippled her run.

_Broken, I'm broken, _Sakura thought wildly, racing through the hall of mirrors. A dozen pairs of mismatched eyes watched her coldly as she ran. "Syaoran!"

Another jolt of pain traveled up her leg, and a sticky warmth ran down her thigh. She staggered and went down, forehead scraping against the stone floor as her punctured leg bled anew. A blood-spattered face peered down at her. "Syaoran . . ."

"Why didn't you save me?" he asked, gripping Hien tighter. "I needed you."

"Syaoran . . ."

His sword flashed with an eerie light as he thrust it through her heart.

Sakura woke up on the couch in Infinity, choking back a scream.


	2. Chopsticks, Watchers, and Thorns

4. Chopsticks

"How can you _use _these things?" Fai demanded, trying to balance the chopsticks between his fingers.

Kurogane gave him a withering look. Syaoran tilted his head to the side.

"They don't have chopsticks in your world?" the boy asked.

"No. We have forks and spoons. And we don't eat _raw fish_."

"It's called sushi. And you don't really _need _chopsticks."

Fai frowned, feeling abnormally silly. "Oh."

"Idiot," Kurogane muttered.

"I'd like to see _you _use a fork."

The ninja turned. "Careful what you wish for, mage. I might shove it down your throat to shut you up."

Fai shut up.

* * *

><p>5. Watching<p>

Syaoran almost didn't realize his clone was falling in love with the princess.

His hands tightened into fists, the only real expression of anger he could show while sealed in this tube. The magic bound his joints so he couldn't free himself, and his blind eye throbbed with the perpetual absence left behind by the missing half of his heart.

The half that was slowly falling in love with _her_, the perfect replica of the real Sakura. The heart that still yearned for the original, but now ached after her copy. His heart.

_No. Not my heart, _Syaoran thought. _Hers._

* * *

><p>6. Thorn<p>

Syaoran hadn't known anything could hurt like this.

He clutched his hand, tears rising to his eyes for the first time since he'd woken up in the rain three weeks ago. His pulse pounded in his fingertips, every beat accentuating the pain.

"Hold still, Syaoran," Fujitaka-san said, examining the wound with intensity.

"It hurts," he whimpered, closing his eyes to shut out the agony.

He heard the distinct _click _of the metal instrument, felt the sickening tug of flesh as the debris was pulled free of his thumb.

"There," his father said, holding up the thorn. "No big deal, right?"


	3. Melons, Kisses, and a Face

_Author's Note:_

_The first drabble is pretty dark. You've been warned._

* * *

><p>7. Melon<p>

Yuui watched his twin step off the ledge.

"Fai!" The hoarse wail sounded like the scrape of bloody fingernails on ice-locked stone.

His brother tumbled through the air, smashing into the side of the tower on his way down. A lake of crimson spread out from his down-turned face, staining his matted curls and soiling his tattered shirt. But it wasn't the blood that turned Yuui's stomach. Blood was a familiar friend to him after his frantic attempts at scaling the walls. It was the _sound_ Fai made when he hit the ground.

A sound like an overripe melon bursting.

* * *

><p>8. Kiss (200 words)<p>

The others watched him run to the castle, sweat pouring down his skin as he rushed to see the princess again.

She waited for him in the foyer, hands folded regally in front of her. All pretenses of civility vanished when she saw his face. She broke into a run, her pink and white dress rippling behind her like waves—the same way she'd always greeted him before he'd turned back time.

He scanned her face for signs of illness or distress. Being away from her for months at a time made him anxious. But she seemed to be in perfect health—fit enough to tackle him to the ground. "Syaoran!"

"It's good to see you," he said, wrapping his arms around her torso and pulling her into a hug. She pulled away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly afraid.

"Nothing's wrong. I just . . . have something to give you, that's all."

"Really?" He half-sat up. When she didn't move, his body went still.

She looked at him, cheeks burning pink. Then, too quick for him to react, her face came forward and her lips pressed against his.

"Welcome back, Syaoran."

He smiled in relief. All was right in the world.

* * *

><p>9. Who are you?<p>

One face, closer than the other two, drew her immediate attention.

He was beautiful. His cheekbones sat at the perfect angle. His hair, disheveled and damp, framed his face in such a way as to draw attention to his eyes. And his eyes were . . . _What? _she wondered.

Arresting. Compelling. Overflowing with joy. But behind them, there was turmoil, anxiety, fear. They were the kind of eyes that made her want to know what had happened to him. Who he was.

_I have to know your name, _she thought. So she asked.

"Who . . . are you?"


	4. Sunrises, Books, and Traitors

10. Sunrise

There was one thing that rarely changed between different dimensions.

It had been months since Syaoran had left Clow, months since he'd seen Princess Sakura, months since she'd smiled at him. But there was one element, in every world, that was almost always the same: the sunrise.

It varied somewhat. In cold climates, the sun looked small, distant. In temperate climates, the sun rarely peeked through the clouds. In desert lands like Clow, the sun beat down hard on their group. But wherever he landed, it was still recognizably the sun.

_Are you watching the sunrise too, Sakura? _he wondered.

* * *

><p>11. Book<p>

"What are you writing?" Kurogane asked, peering over the mage's shoulder.

"A book."

"A book?"

The blond nodded. "I've been thinking about it ever since we landed in Jade country, when Syaoran brought it up. I mean, wouldn't it be interesting to write down our adventures so that someday, other people can read them?"

Kurogane frowned. "No one would believe it."

Fai smiled. "I know. People will think it's just an ordinary novel. But it might become popular someday."

"Yeah? And what then?"

The mage grinned wider. "Then I'll have hundreds of loyal fans to write fan fiction for it."

* * *

><p>12. Traitor (200 words)<p>

She did not feel fear.

"So you sent him to the witch," her master grumbled, circling her like a vulture. Xing Huo continued staring at the spot where Syaoran had stood a moment ago.

"Yes," she answered in a monotone. It wasn't that she'd wanted to go against her master. She didn't _want _anything. Desire was a human emotion, and so she did not feel it. Yet some part of her had been compelled to send the boy away, so he wouldn't be imprisoned again. Some buried sense of kinship. They'd been Reed's pets for so long.

"I cannot allow such actions to go unpunished," her master said, pausing in front of her with his hands behind his back. His spectacles glinted as he faced her. "But truly, I regret this. You were such a loyal servant up until now."

Xing Huo said nothing. She knew the price of betrayal.

Her master approached, footsteps heavy against the stone floor. He raised one hand from his side, and summoned his sword—the sword with the bat-shaped hilt, the sword that had slain the Miko in Nihon.

"Farewell," her master said, as the steel parted her dress and buried itself in her heart.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: <em>

_I couldn't resist the story in the middle. It seemed so perfect, considering who I was writing for. _

_Regarding the last drabble: I didn't really expect to write something like this. The idea came to me when I was looking for a darker scene in the manga and saw the page where Xing Huo had a sword sticking out of her chest. Since they kind of glazed over it, I thought it would be interesting to think about._

_Requests and prompts are still welcome, by the way. Any feedback at all would be nice, though._


	5. Angels, Onii, and Agony

13. Angel

Syaoran traced her collarbone with his fingertips, trying not to wake her.

He'd visited Clow a dozen times since they'd first parted. This was the first time he'd ever stayed with her overnight.

The sunlight played off Sakura's hair in strange ways, letting the strawberry undertones show through. Lying beside her, he was at the perfect angle to see the sun halo her head. _Like an angel, _he thought, smiling fondly. His hand shifted to her bare shoulder, caressing the smooth skin there. Sakura stirred.

"Good morning," she yawned.

"Yes," he said, pulling her in for a kiss. "It is."

* * *

><p>14. Onii<p>

Fai retreated back half a step, panic constricting his lungs. His eyes flashed up to Seishirou. "Farewell," the one-eyed man murmured.

All around him, the shadows writhed, controlled by one sentient mind. Despite yellow eyes and misshapen bodies, Fai sensed a horrifying human quality to them—as if each Onii possessed the ability to reason, to think as a human would.

Fai had always been able to sidestep danger. Until he felt the stone-hard point at his throat.

As the world faded away, Fai realized why the Onii seemed so human. It was because they were, like humans, capable of hatred.

* * *

><p>15. Transformation<p>

The world exploded in fire.

Fai writhed, struggling to escape the agony.

"Hold him down," someone said. Fai didn't recognize the voice. The liquid fire traveled down his throat, seeping into his veins. Changing him.

His fingers fisted in the sheets as he tried to drive the pain out. The fire moved inexorably through his blood.

Fai had known pain. Recent pain, when Syaoran had ripped his eye out. Distant pain, when he'd clawed at the walls of the tower until he bled. Never like this.

Another scream tore from his throat.

The fire continued to burn him from within.


	6. Ice Cream, Silence, and Warmth

16. Ice Cream

"You've had it before," Syaoran assured her. "You just don't remember."

Sakura stared at the dripping dome, wishing she knew her old eating habits. They'd been in Piffle for five days now, and she hadn't gotten to do much besides tinker with the dragonfly racers. "Are you sure?"

Syaoran nodded. "You'll like it."

Cautiously, she lifted the spoon up to her lips. She could feel the frigid air coming off the utensil.

Syaoran watched her, fighting a smile.

Her lips closed around the ice cream, and she squeaked in surprise. "It's good!"

Syaoran smiled. "I knew you'd like it."

* * *

><p>17. Mute (150 words)<p>

Even in silence, the mage annoyed the hell out of him.

They'd been in Yama for six months now, with Yasha's army for five. Initially, it had seemed convenient to let the wizard play dumb. It made the magician much more tolerable.

But damn that grin. That deceitful, insinuating smirk. "Quit smiling like that!"

Fai rolled over. The grin stayed.

Kurogane unsheathed Souhi and lifted it to strike. The mage rolled out of the way when it came down. "Get back here!"

The smile faded.

_Finally._

"I understand you."

"Yeah well—" Kurogane broke off as the words hit him.

The mage's grin reappeared. "The kids are close."

The tent flap flew open. "Everyone to the front lines!" one of the warriors shouted. "The battle is starting."

Kurogane's lips stretched into a grin. "Well, what do you think of that, mage? Let's see if the boy remembers what I taught him."

* * *

><p>18. Warmth<p>

The boy curled up, trying to retain what warmth he could. The chill brought on by the rain only added to the steady throbbing of his wounds.

Later, he would label that throbbing as pain. But now, he had no words, no knowledge of a life without pain.

The rain was cold. He knew that, though he had no word for it. Cold was bad.

Across the street, a cloaked figure watched him. The boy withdrew, shutting him out. The man approached and stripped off his cloak, using it to shield the boy from the rain.

He wasn't cold anymore.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_The last one was from when C!Syaoran first arrived in Clow. Since he didn't have a name, and didn't know Fujitaka's name, I referred to them as "the boy" and "the man." Hope it wasn't too confusing._

_And I know we saw Sakura eating ice cream before Piffle World. But she didn't recognize it from the memories she did have, and she had no direct experience since the start of her journey with the frozen treat, so I went ahead with it._


	7. First Words, Nine Months, and Fear

19. First Words (200 words)

"Candle," Fujitaka said, holding up the appropriate item. He kept hoping for the boy to echo a word back to him—any word, even if it was the wrong word—but the boy just nodded as if he understood.

Fujitaka picked up another item. "Book."

A nod.

They went back and forth with this for a few minutes, as they did every day. It was clear from the boy's responses that he understood. But it surprised him when the boy pointed to himself.

"Syaoran," he said, though he'd taught the boy his name weeks ago.

The boy nodded, then pointed to him. "Fujitaka," the man said.

This time, the boy shook his head. He pointed more forcefully.

"I don't understand," Fujitaka finally said.

The boy looked at him in dismay, then pulled a sheet of paper from the table. There, he wrote a single, clumsy character.

Syaoran handed him the paper, solemn as ever. Fujitaka examined the character, trying to make sense of the crooked lines. When he did, his face softened. "This is the word for 'father.'"

Syaoran took the paper and pushed it to the man's chest. In a soft, unpracticed voice, the boy said, "You're my father now."

* * *

><p>20. Nine Months<p>

Syaoran rested one hand on Sakura's abdomen. "Maybe I'll be here for the birth after all."

She laced her fingers with his. She was nine months pregnant.

He leaned in closer to her face and planted a kiss at the base of her jaw. Sakura giggled.

"You'll be a wonderful father."

"When I'm here," he sighed.

"Even when you're not."

Syaoran felt the tingle of magic on his neck. He bit his lip. "It's time for me to go."

Sakura's smile vanished as the magic wrapped around her husband. She kissed him.

"I'll see you soon," he promised. And disappeared.

* * *

><p>21. Mismatched<p>

It had been a long time since Kurogane had felt fear. But now he was afraid—for the princess, at the bottom of the reservoir—for the rest of his companions' survival.

But it wasn't until he saw the kid, holding the mage by the back of his cloak, that his fear turned to panic. "Boy!"

Everything went still in the reservoir, as if time itself had slowed to make the moment surreal. The kid tilted his head up and met his gaze, expressionless. Kurogane's fear faded to numb disbelief.

Mismatched eyes returned his stare, shattering the nightmare and making it real.


	8. Worry, Loyalty, and Reasons

_Author's Notes:_

_Well, these three are all about Kurogane. I meant for this fic to be about Syaoran and Sakura, but it seems to be extending beyond what I planned. But that's okay, because Kurogane is awesome._

* * *

><p>22. Worry (150 words)<p>

The first time Kurogane worried about the other members of their group was in the country of Jade.

"Are you sure those two will get out?"

Kurogane ignored the words. Of course they'd get out. The boy would never let his princess get entombed in the castle. They'd rise from the river any second now.

The flow of the river grew heavier.

The boy could handle himself. Surely. And if he couldn't, his journey had been doomed from the start.

They didn't surface.

The mage stared at the rushing water. His face was grim.

Kurogane sensed something under the water. "There," he said calmly, refusing to admit to the relief he felt.

The others looked up. Kurogane extended a hand just as the boy's arm broke the surface. The cut on his cheek had been washed clean by the current.

The ninja allowed himself to feel relief. Just this once.

* * *

><p>23. Loyal<p>

When Shirasagi castle rose from the horizon, Kurogane felt the first rush of enthusiasm he'd experienced in months.

Tomoyo waited, dressed in elaborate robes. When he got close, he went down on one knee and bowed his head. "Tsukiyomi."

"Lord Suwa," the princess said. Then she smiled, and she was Tomoyo again. "Welcome home, Kurogane."

A rare smile crossed his face, far different from the murderous smiles he was used to. _Though those are getting rarer, _he thought. His eyes slid over to his student and the mage.

Regardless of where he went with them, he'd always return to Tomoyo.

* * *

><p>24. Reason<p>

"Was it wise to send him away?"

"There are others who need him more," Tomoyo said. "Those people will, in turn, become precious to him."

Souma frowned, but said nothing. True, leaving oneself vulnerable was suicidal. But this was more important.

"Kurogane lost everything when Suwa burned," the Tsukiyomi murmured. "And he will not leave my service of his own volition. I am sending him away so he can learn what it means to have a family, even if they are not of his blood."

"You truly are kind, Tomoyo."

_Or cruel, _the princess thought, staring up at the sky.


	9. Doors, Atonement, and Drinking

25. Door

Sakura started closing her bedroom door after they reached Infinity.

Before, she'd never worried about it. She'd trusted her companions, and had nothing to hide from them. Until Tokyo.

Outside, the conversations withered. They were making an effort for her, to keep her from breaking apart. They didn't understand that the best thing they could do for her now was to close the door, just as they allowed the new Syaoran to do.

They didn't understand that the all she wanted was to forget _him_. To go where she wouldn't have to see Syaoran's face and remember what she'd lost.

* * *

><p>26. Atonement<p>

Syaoran waited for everyone to finish tending to their injuries before examining his own.

Most of the time, Fai was quick enough to avoid getting hurt. But Kurogane-san tended to absorb just as many hits as he dodged, and so received a vast array of small cuts and bruises.

Neither of those things were what prompted Syaoran to hang back, however. It was the thought that the aches and pains he endured contributed to his eventual atonement. If he had arrived in Tokyo a minute sooner . . . _But I didn't. So it's my place to suffer for it._

* * *

><p>27. An Offer of Friendship<p>

Syaoran looked up, startled.

"Here's liquor," the ninja said, offering him a glass. "Can you drink it?"

"Considering the other me was able to . . ."

"I asked if _you _could drink it."

A pang went through him, half relief and half apprehension. No one _ever _acknowledged him without the qualifier—"this" Syaoran.

"I don't know . . ." he finally said, eyes dropping. Smooth glass touched his hand, and he wrapped his fingers around the drink automatically. Kurogane sat beside him, coming closer than anyone else ever did.

It was a moment before Syaoran could speak again. "Thank you."


	10. Hearts, Fragments, and Memories

28. Heart

The runes gripped Syaoran's arms like phantom hands, pinning him where he stood.

Fei Wang Reed watched his struggles with apathy, seeming more interested in the clone he'd created.

_The image, _Syaoran thought in horror, as magic constricted him.

He could think of only one solution. It would hurt. But he had to be sure.

Magic rushed to his fingertips, pressed against his eyelid. Agony lanced through him as half his soul split away. Intense pain. But it was the all he could do.

It was the only thing that might enable his clone to grow a his own heart.

* * *

><p>29. Fragments<p>

Fragments.

A demon raising its eyes to his, something hanging from its mouth. Red fluid dripping down . . .

A sword in his hands, his knuckles white with the force of his grip.

Flashes of white as one demon after another invaded Suwa.

Fire everywhere, consuming paper walls, singeing Mother's shrine . . . The shrine drenched with her blood.

Demons coming from every direction, relentless, lethal. Not as lethal as him.

A sword—the sword with the bat-shaped hilt—lodged in his mother's heart. A pair of once-black eyes fading to gray as time passed.

Fragmented mockeries of his nightmares.

* * *

><p>30. Memories of the Body<p>

Syaoran always thought that Sakura was most like her old self when she was startled. So when the ceramic plate shattered against the linoleum floor in the Cat's Eye Café, her hand shot out and wrapped around his without a conscious thought.

"Oh my goodness!" she shrieked, not realizing that she'd latched onto his hand. Syaoran smiled, pretending for just a moment that her reflexive movement had been intentional, that she wouldn't pull away the moment she realized what she'd done.

Moments like these were often rare and fleeting. Sometimes it was just better to cherish them when they happened.


	11. Sword Practice, Touches, and Falling

31. Sword Practice

Sometimes, she just liked to watch him.

Syaoran seldom practiced near the cafe—he and Kurogane-san usually went to the park, where there was space. But when Sakura _did _get to watch, she was captivated by the way he moved.

_Like a wolf, _she thought, lips stretching into an unconscious smile as the brunette repeated the techniques Kurogane-san had taught him that morning. His movements were sinuous, graceful. More like a dance instead of a way of fighting.

Behind her, the bell sounded. She turned away from the window, and smiled radiantly at their customers. "Welcome to the Cat's Eye Café!"

* * *

><p>32. Touch (150)<p>

It was just a light brushing of fingertips, but it was the first time she'd purposely touched him since Tokyo. His heart rate accelerated.

"During my travels with the one who shares your form, he was always rescuing me," Sakura said. "I've only put you through pain and hardship—"

"If this is an apology . . . I don't need it."

Her eyes went wide for a moment, the light glinting off her jade irises. He almost apologized before her lips curled up in a smile.

"Thank you, Syaoran-kun."

The words hung in the air. _She called me Syaoran-kun, _he thought, heart kicking into overdrive at her smile. Her smiles appeared so seldom that he'd forgotten how much he'd wanted to see it for himself.

For the first time, he was glad his clone had gone berserk in Tokyo. If he hadn't, Syaoran never would've gotten to see Sakura smile.

* * *

><p>33. Falling<p>

There was a specific method to receiving feathers. First, Syaoran would run to her, smiling, and hold the feather out in offering. Sakura would step forward, showing she was ready to receive the memories. The feather would touch her chest and merge with her body, rippling as the similar energies combined.

Then, when everything went dark, and her legs collapsed under her weight, a warm pair of arms would encircle her. They would hold her up as she fell, so that even when the world vanished in a sea of memories, she remained anchored to that one person. To Syaoran.


	12. Chocolate, Music, and Wings

34. Chocolate

"Will you teach me how to make those?"

Fai held up the cookie sheet. "These?"

"I wanted . . . to do something nice for Syaoran." Her eyes drifted to the corner. Syaoran shouldn't be forced to help a total stranger, regardless of her rank.

Fai smiled. "Sure."

An hour later, she was drizzling melted fudge over chocolate truffles. She let the last few drops fall onto the plate, then walked to Syaoran's door. _Even if I'm a burden to him, I want to make him smile, _she thought.

"Come in," Syaoran called.

Sakura opened the door and stepped inside.

* * *

><p>35. Music<p>

As her fingers brushed against the strings of the _koto_, the room fell silent.

When Ashura-O had asked Sakura to play, Syaoran had worried that she wouldn't remember how. As the first notes drifted through Shura's palace, he realized his fear was unfounded.

Distantly, Syaoran was aware of Ashura-O's dancing. But the majority of his attention remained on Sakura. As she played, her features overflowed with vitality, just as they had before she'd lost her memories. She was, in the moments when her fingers pulled music from that delicate instrument, the princess he had fallen in love with so long ago.

* * *

><p>36. Wings<p>

Until that moment, Syaoran had only feared for Sakura's life in his nightmares. As the ruins glowed beneath her hands, his heart kicked into overdrive. _No, no, no . . . _

"Sakura!" he yelled, hand closing around thin air as she rose into the air. A pair of ribbon-like wings spread from her back, magnificent extensions of her body. But her face remained vacant.

As if she could no longer hear him.

The wings warped and shimmered, unfolding. "_Sakura_!"

Fissures formed in the wings in triangular patterns. They broke apart, shattering like fragments of a mirror. And then she fell.


	13. Agreements, Games, and Mischief

37. Yes (200)

Syaoran's thumb traced the box in his pocket, as if the contact would assure him it was still there. As if he would ever lose something so important.

Beyond the door, he heard Sakura humming to herself as she donned her party dress. They were supposed to be heading downstairs already, and Touya wouldn't be pleased if they were late to dinner, but . . .

Syaoran glanced down at his pocket, pulling the black box out just far enough for him to see. His heart started pounding.

In the other room, Sakura stopped humming. Then, she swept out of her room, dressed in an elegant silk dress and a crown bedecked with colored feathers. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

His throat closed up. "I . . . Actually . . ."

Her smile waned a bit. "What's wrong?"

_I don't know how to do this,_ he thought, pulse pounding in his neck. Impulsively, he threw himself down on one knee, fumbling for the box. _Now or never. _

He lifted the lid. "W-Will you marry me?"

Sakura squealed and lunged forward, tackling him in her haste to kiss him. One word pierced the air, over and over: "Yes!"

* * *

><p>38. Tag<p>

"Kamui, run!" Subaru shrieked, claws shooting out of his fingertips.

"Subaru-"

"Run!"

Kamui hesitated, then bolted back to the apartment they'd secured after arriving in this world.

A figure stirred, approaching with slow, deliberate steps. "So honorable of you, to send him away."

Subaru braced himself. The one-eyed hunter grinned and donned his glasses. "I've been looking for you."

"Stay away."

Seishirou smiled. "We have unfinished business."

The hunter advanced, driving the vampire back. As Subaru's back hit the brick wall, he realized he had no escape.

Seishirou leaned forward and lifted one hand to Subaru's forehead. "Tag. You're it."

* * *

><p>39. Mischief<p>

His hands trailed down her shoulders. "I love you," he whispered.

Sakura breathed deeply. Her index finger traced his collarbone as she spoke. "I want to get a house separate from the palace."

Syaoran looked up. "Why?"

She kissed him, lips moving slowly down the line of his jaw until they reached the corner of his mouth. Her voice turned mischievous. "So the whole palace doesn't hear us next time we sleep together."

"But . . . 'next time'? We've never-"

"Syaoran."

He blinked rapidly, heat rushing to his cheeks. "You mean-"

Sakura grinned and pushed him onto the bed.


	14. Friends, Cocoons, and Discoveries

40. Friends

It wasn't that Fai hadn't wanted friends. He'd just never had the opportunity. There had been his brother, but they'd been obligated by blood to get along. Ashura might have been his friend, if not for the age difference. Their relationship was that of a parent and child, not a friend.

The house was quiet. The puppies had gone off to slay demons, and Sakura-chan slept, cradling Mokona to her chest. It was quiet enough for him to appreciate the relationships he'd built since visiting Yuuko's shop.

Quiet enough to regret the hardships his affection would bring to the others.

* * *

><p>41. Cocoon<p>

Subaru hovered in a state between unconsciousness and awareness. The thin membrane that had imprisoned him after he'd arrived in Tokyo swaddled him like a cocoon, keeping him dry. It was warm and safe, and even though Kamui was mourning his absence somewhere else in the tower, Subaru knew he couldn't leave yet. Something had to happen first . . .

He felt a ripple of magic near him, a feeling like eyes on the back of his neck. At once, he was more alert. The energy wasn't malevolent, but warm and sunny.

_It's starting, _Subaru thought, opening his eyes.

* * *

><p>42. Discovery<p>

Touya held up the multicolored pills, trying to guess why his little sister had started taking medicine. "Yukito, what are these for?" he asked, holding up the plastic case. "And why are they two different colors?"

The High Priest turned to him, examining the package. His cheeks flushed strawberry red.

"What? What is it?" Touya demanded, as Yukito turned away.

Yukito started laughing. "Touya, those . . . those are birth control pills."

Touya stared at the High Priest as the ramifications of what he'd just heard hit him. Then he turned toward the window.

"_Sakura! _Get up here _now_!"


	15. Libraries, Hollow Hearts, and Photos

43. Library

"Where are we going?" Syaoran asked as his father towed him down the street.

"To my favorite place in the world."

The boy cocked his head to the side. "But the ruins are on the other side of town."

Father shook his head. "My other favorite place."

Syaoran stared in confusion, but followed his father up the steps to a regal white building. They stepped through a pair of glass doors and into a high-ceiling room, as Syaoran marveled at the towering bookshelves around them. "What do they this place?" he asked, awestruck.

Father smiled. "They call it a library."

* * *

><p>44. Shell<p>

The most wonderful thing about being a sociopath was that he didn't have to feel the pain he might've felt if he'd been sane.

If he'd retained that fragment of a soul the Original had given to him, it might've been different. He might've regretted ripping out that wizard's eye. His dreams might have been haunted by the desert princess's horrified face. He might have regretted betraying the ninja who had trained him.

Instead, he felt nothing. Nothing at all. As if he was just an empty shell, with no capacity or desire for emotions.

He was fine with that.

* * *

><p>45. Camera (200)<p>

Syaoran looked warily at the device sitting on the table. "What's that?"

His father looked surprised by the question. Though Syaoran had been soaking up the language of Clow at an unprecedented rate in the months since Fujitaka had found him, he'd never encountered the strange device before, and its purpose eluded him.

"This is a camera," the man said, touching the device. "You use it to take pictures."

"Why don't you just draw the pictures?"

Father smiled. "Here, I'll show you. Stand right there."

Syaoran stood as his father picked the device off the table. When the man hit a button on top, a flash of white filled the room.

"What was _that_?"

His father plucked a piece of paper from the device. "The flash. You use it at night, or indoors."

He rubbed his eyes. "I don't like it."

Fujitaka knelt down beside him, displaying the picture. "Look."

Syaoran looked, wondering why his father was so fascinated by a beige sheet of paper. Gradually, the beige faded, and more defined shapes appeared. Syaoran recognized himself in the crisp lines. "I can see why you'd use a camera," he finally said. "It can draw much better than I can."


	16. Emotions, Watchers, and Armor

_Author's Notes:_

_This chapter features Mokona. Since her gender was never made clear in the series, I will be referring to her as a female._

* * *

><p>46. Emotions<p>

Mokona had always felt sorrow in their little band but, rife with crime and human chess matches, Infinity served only to damage everyone's already splintering bonds.

Even Sakura was breaking.

Mokona cuddled up closer to the princess, wishing she could cheer her up somehow. But Sakura's fingers just tightened around the sheets as she rolled away. "Mokona thinks you should come out for dinner," Mokona said, with little hope of rousing the princess.

"No."

"But-"

"I don't want to go out. I don't want to see him."

"You mean Syaoran?"

Sakura's voice grew colder, her heart heavier. "He's not Syaoran."

* * *

><p>47. Watcher<p>

In Clow, no one ever attacked them. With Kurogane and Fai relaxing downstairs, Mokona the chance to wander alone through the castle, an opportunity she rarely received between translating and traveling through space and time.

As soon as she reached Sakura's room, Mokona knew this moment wasn't meant to be shared with any watchers. Syaoran, now nineteen, was kissing Sakura. His bare arms seemed almost like restraints as he held her body to his. And for some reason, Sakura's underclothes were strewn all across the floor . . .

Mokona retreated from the doorway and headed back downstairs, permanently scarred.

* * *

><p>48. Armor<p>

Mokona didn't like the rigid shell of Kurogane's armor. In fact, if she had the option, she much preferred to hide in the soft fabric of Fai's coat, or the silky fabric of Sakura's cloak.

But there was something inherently funny in Kurogane's reaction whenever she'd pop out of his armor. Mokona could predict his frustrated exclamations to the letter now, which was entertaining in itself. More comical than that was the fact that, even after months of traveling together, she still managed to surprise the ninja every single time she poked her head out from beneath his chest plate.


	17. Breaths, Apprentices, and Trust

49. Breathing

The most soothing sound anywhere was the whisper of Sakura's breathing as she slept.

Syaoran wasn't always close enough to hear it. Sometimes, when they landed in a world where living arrangements easy to acquire, everyone had their own rooms, and the walls blocked off the sound. But on worlds where space was a luxury, and he was shared a room with Sakura, Syaoran would listen to the slow, even cadence of her breathing to assure himself she was still there. It was critical to remained well rested. If that meant listening to the lullaby of her breathing, that was fine.

* * *

><p>50. Apprentice (150)<p>

There were few things in Kurogane's life he was proud of, but his student was one of them.

He'd done noteworthy things. He'd protected the Tsukiyomi from assassins, slain demons beyond count, fought and defeated skilled warriors in duels. But all those things had been for honor. They were expected of him.

This wasn't, and that was why he was glad to see his student improving. Despite his youth, Syaoran showed a gratifying degree of discipline. He never complained, he worked until his whole body must have ached, and there were times when he mastered concepts—just miniscule details—with astonishing speed. Yet that wasn't all. Everything the boy did was purposeful. When he made a mistake, he accepted criticism. When he did well, he needed no further praise to move forward.

Kurogane had never wanted an apprentice, but he supposed if he had to have one, Syaoran was the perfect student.

* * *

><p>51. Trust<p>

Syaoran hadn't liked the ninja when they'd first met. There had been a mutual respect between them, but their goals hadn't lined up.

The turning point occurred in Outo, when Kurogane agreed to take him on as an apprentice. Syaoran hadn't been certain of the answer he'd receive—he was never certain of anything. Up until that moment, their goals had been worlds apart. To hear Kurogane agree had solidified the tenuous trust he'd cultivated for the ninja. It was one thing he could rely on, in a journey where every world had its hazards. One person he could trust absolutely.


	18. Fire, Fingernails, and Lies

52. Fire

Sometimes Syaoran wondered why, no matter what world they landed in, he gained some fire-related weapon.

In the Hanshin Republic, he'd been joined by a wolf made of flames. Later, when he'd received a sword in Outo and realized all the attacks were somehow connected with fire, he'd begun to wonder if he didn't have some strange affinity for the element.

Gradually, he came to accept the strange connection. It did not matter what weapons he had, or that they all seemed to relate the fire. He had only one wish, one burning desire, and that was to protect Sakura.

* * *

><p>53. Nails<p>

Yuui lifted his blood-crusted fingernails to the cold wall, contemplating the ache in his fingertips. It was not such a great pain, compared to the gnawing hunger, or his shredded heart, but it nagged at him, ceaseless and eternal as the walls that confined him.

His fingernails scraped against the frigid stone, refusing to go numb as they bent backwards against the hard surface. Fireworks of pain shot up his knuckles as one fingernail fractured. It was _that _pain, that constant sting that made his fingers feel like stumps instead of proper digits. A small pain, but a constant torment.

* * *

><p>54. Liar<p>

Some lies were kind. "I'm sure you'll remember eventually, Sakura-chan."

Some lies were to preserve his façade. "A little wound like this won't kill me."

Some lies were intended to provoke the Big Puppy into a fit of rage so he wouldn't see Fai as he really was. "But Kuro-pon looks so _innocent _in those robes!"

Some lies were internal, lies he told only to himself, so he wouldn't have to remember. _I don't have to betray the others . . . I can keep running forever if I have to . . . My name is Fai, not Yuui._

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_I'm trying to keep up on the stories I'm able to update this month, but if you have a prompt or a request for these drabbles, I'm desperate._


	19. Monsters, Happiness, and Hatred

55. Monster

Tomoyo thought he was a monster.

Kurogane seldom cared about other people's thoughts, but this one rankled. When she'd sent him away, he'd felt only the familiar bite of rage. Now that it had had time to sink in, though, it bit deeper.

How could she send him away? He'd been loyal to her for years, protected her from assassins, slain demons for her. And she'd sent him away to stop him from killing?

Did she think he was that much of a monster? Did his hatred for things threatening Tomoyo drive him to become a monster?

He didn't know.

* * *

><p>56. Happiness<p>

It had always been an effort for Fai to act happy. He'd smiled because people preferred it that way, and he'd remained cheerful to maintain social conventions. He still acted like that, even after months of traveling with these people. But something had shifted, something that bubbled up when he talked to Sakura-chan, or teased Kuro-wan. It had taken him time to identify the strange fluttering. Fearing it, he'd reminded himself he had no room to worry about others when his king could wake up at any moment.

But sometimes, he slipped. And for a moment, his smiles were real.

* * *

><p>57. Hatred<p>

Father had taught the Other it was wrong to hate someone, but sometimes Syaoran couldn't help but hate the clone that had borrowed half his soul.

It wasn't because his clone had ripped out Fai's eye, or that he'd gone to another dimension to slaughter people. No, it was a much more personal hatred, one Syaoran couldn't justify or ignore.

He hated his clone because Sakura loved him.

It wasn't because of jealousy. It was because Sakura was suffering, hoarding her tears to herself while he remained ostracized. Syaoran hated his clone because he'd left Sakura's heart bleeding after him.


	20. Reflections, Worry, and Determination

58. Reflections

"This world changed because of our actions in Shura?" Syaoran squeaked.

Sakura stared at the gods' statues, noting their close proximity. Their actions in Shura had affected everything else, like a ripple in a pond spreading out to touch the flowers near the edge.

_It's not a bad change, though, _Sakura thought, turning to see Suzuran as she planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. In a way, their relationship was just like the once-forbidden love between Yasha and Ashura. _Both couples can be together now, because of us. They can love each other freely._

_We did the right thing_

* * *

><p>59. Worries (150)<p>

Sakura nibbled her fingernails, drawing the sheets to her chest. Tomorrow, they'd go to the library to steal the memory book. Tomorrow, they'd become criminals.

_What if we can't escape? _

She shook off the thought. Mokona would transport them if the situation got too dicey, feather or no feather. Even so, her companions had shown a willingness to get hurt for her benefit too many times. They'd insist on retrieving her feather, even at grave cost.

Sakura was worried. Worried they'd get arrested, worried they'd get hurt. Worried they'd die.

_No. Mokona will get us out if things get bad. We can travel until we come back. _

Her eyelids fluttered, her ears tuning in to the strategic discussion beyond her walls. Fai explained to Syaoran common traps that could appear in this magical world. Syaoran listened.

Her teeth moved to the next fingernail. _And all I can do is worry._

* * *

><p>60. Determination<p>

It speared the back of her calf, sending fireworks of pain up her leg.

For a moment, Sakura laid there, suppressing a scream. When she calmed enough to look down, her stomach turned. A twisted spire of metal stuck out from the side of her shin, skewering skin and muscle. It might've even chipped a bone.

Briefly, she considered turning back. No one would begrudge her for it, not openly. The price of water was too steep.

Beyond the chasm, she heard a creature approaching. She raised her gun as it shredded through the debris above.

_No going back now._


	21. Valentine's Day, Cruelty, and Kindness

_Author's Notes:_

_So glad to be back writing fan fiction. I'm back from Chicago, and I had a great time on my trip. We played a concert at the Field Museum, and sat in the poncho zone at the Blue Man Group, where we were splattered with paint and other debris. It. Was. Amazing. _

_But I missed your reviews, and I'm glad to be back._

_The second drabble is borderline rated M, but it's not explicit enough for me to justify changing the rating, so . . . Yeah. Enjoy._

* * *

><p>61. Valentine's Day<p>

"I'm _not _eating that," Kurogane growled.

"C'mon Kuro-puu. I made a piece for everyone."

"No!"

Fai pouted, tears budding in his eyes. When the ninja scoffed, he saw an opening.

Fai had always been quick. Becoming a vampire had made him quicker. Too fast for the eye to track, he stabbed the fork into the spongy substance and lifted it to the ninja's mouth. The ninja sputtered as the mass slid down his throat.

"You _bastard_!" he exploded, his artificial arm going to his sword. Fai danced out of the way, remembering Valentine's Day in Outo.

Some things never changed.

* * *

><p>62. Cruelty<p>

Sakura tightened the ropes around Syaoran's wrists, smiling when he winced. Every breath he took trembled.

Her fingertips ghosted down his torso, starting at his collarbone and moving down the ridges of his muscles. "We hardly ever get to see each other anymore," she murmured, lifting her fingers and kissing the hollow of his throat. He shivered. "And you said wanted tonight to be special."

"Sakura . . ." His arms twitched against the restraints. "When I said _special_—"

She stopped the words with another kiss. "I know. But tonight is my night."

He moaned. "Now you're just being cruel."

* * *

><p>63. Kindness (200)<p>

"Damn mage . . ." Kurogane readjusted the bag of flour so it sat on his other shoulder. He could hear the mage laughing now—_Oh, but Kuro-pon, I needed flour for the café. _

Kurogane was half a mile from the café when he heard a mournful meow. _How loud _is _that mage? _he wondered, eyebrows slanting downward. A moment later, he heard another meow, more desperate than the last.

Kurogane paused, listening. This time, he was able to pinpoint the source.

He leaned the bag of flour against a wall and walked into the alley. The pathetic mewling grew louder as he approached.

The kitten's paws reached around the top of a drainpipe as it squirmed to free itself. Another cat, full grown, sat outside the pipe, echoing the cries of its kitten.

_No one has to know about this, _he thought, kneeling down beside the drainpipe. He reached inside, plucking the furry mass from its prison. He set it down in front of the larger cat, who then cleaned the kitten off with her tongue.

Kurogane returned to the street and hoisted the bag of flour over his shoulder.

No one would have to know about his little detour.


	22. April Fools, Names, and Waiting

64. April Fools Day (150)

"Should we really be doing this?" Syaoran glanced down the row of bookshelves.

"Mokona is sure. All Syaoran has to do is call the librarian over."

Syaoran hesitated. "And then?"

Mokona smiled. After a moment, Syaoran walked across the room and addressed the librarian. The man gave him a questioning look, then approached.

"It was this book." Syaoran pulled a random tome off the shelf.

"What's wrong with it?"

Before Syaoran could answer, Mokona opened her mouth and inhaled. The pages fluttered, like a bird taking flight. The librarian recoiled from the roaring wind. Mokona swallowed the book, then closed her mouth, going as still as a stuffed doll.

Several seconds passed, as the librarian struggled to understand what had happened. "What was _that_?"

Syaoran shrugged. "An April Fool's prank?" he suggested, as if he truly had no idea.

Mokona repressed the urge to smile until the librarian was gone.

* * *

><p>65. Names<p>

Syaoran grew to hate his name in Infinity.

He wouldn't have minded the others calling him Syaoran, except for the reason behind it. Because he was nothing more than a replacement of the boy they'd lost in Tokyo. They called him Syaoran out of convenience, not respect.

It wasn't as bad as his real name.

_Tsubasa. _Wings. It seemed bitterly ironic that his name was a symbol of freedom, yet he'd been held captive for seven years. Ironic how he was pinned down by Sakura's coldness, by this broken city in this broken world.

As if his wings were broken.

* * *

><p>66. Waiting<p>

She stood on the sand dune and watched them disappear.

Her heart gave a spasm of grief. Time flowed differently in every world—how could she know if they'd even return in her lifetime?

Behind her, Touya sighed. She looked at him, vision blurring with nascent tears. It was the first time in a long time that her brother didn't look irritated, or arrogant, or anxious, but she took little joy in his solemnity.

But Syaoran had vowed he would return someday, and she had never known him to break a promise. Not to her. She'd wait here until he returned.


	23. Birds, Mirrors, and Caretakers

_Author's Notes:_

_Two drabbles in one night! Finally, I'm getting time to update like a normal person again._

* * *

><p>67. Birds<p>

The pendulum hit the bottom of its arc once every second.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Kyle asked the child. This time, it was a girl of seven years, with curly black hair. She reminded him a bit of Xing Huo.

"I remember," the girl murmured, eyes never leaving the pendulum. "When the snow falls, I follow the blackbirds to the castle."

The doctor smiled. The blackbirds were nothing more than a hallucination brought on by the pendulum's magic. Quite useful for luring children to the castle.

Kyle sent the child away and called for his next patient.

* * *

><p>68. Mirror<p>

Syaoran's fingertips trailed down the mirror, heart fluttering as he realized his image wasn't reflecting his actions. He lifted a hand to his bandaged eye. His image copied him, a second too late. Instead of bandages, he wore an eye patch.

"Who are you?" Syaoran asked.

The image in the mirror didn't answer, merely lifting his hand to the glass. Where his fingertips touched, the silver surface warped. Syaoran recoiled as his image came through the mirror.

Syaoran sat bolt upright in his bed, shocked into awareness. His eye throbbed painfully. _Why, _he wondered. _do I keep having that dream?_

* * *

><p>69. Caretaker (150)<p>

Syaoran wrapped the bandages around his left hand, then tied the ends. After another day of training, his hands were raw and abraded.

Sakura slept, so he tended to his wounds alone.

He picked up the bandages again and unrolled some for the scrapes on his dominant hand. Then he hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

"Here, let me take care of that," Fai said, setting down a pan of croissants and approaching the table.

"I'm fine," Syaoran murmured as the magician wrapped bandages around his hands.

"Syaoran-kun works so hard," Mokona said, popping out of Fai's shirt. "He needs someone to take care of him."

"All done," Fai said, tying off the bandages.

Syaoran examined the bandages. "Thank you."

Fai smiled. "We're all in this together. It's okay to accept help sometimes."

Syaoran's eyes flickered to Sakura's room, then back to Fai. _Sakura would want it this way, _he thought.


	24. Omoni, Fathers, and the Space in Between

70. Omoni (200)

Chun'yan winced as the brush ripped her hair out. "That _hurts_!"

Her Omoni smiled ruefully. "Well, dear, that's what happens when you spend all day mud wrestling," she said, pulling the brush through the damp curtain of hair. Chun'yan groaned. Not only had she had to bathe two days in a row because of the incident, but now she had to sit here getting her hair pulled out, too. It wasn't fair.

"He started it," she grumbled, thinking of the village boy who'd shoved her into the mud two hours ago.

Her mother simply smiled. "A future shinban must control her temper, Chun'yan."

"But he deserved it!"

Her Omoni's voice turned sharp. "You cannot act so brazen. The role of a shinban is to protect her people, whether they do good or ill."

The brush slid smoothly through her black hair as the tangles came out.

"There," her mother said. "Next time you shove someone into a puddle, try using your magic instead of your hands. It's much cleaner that way."

"Omoni!" Chun'yan squeaked, shocked. "I thought you said—"

"Even shinban lose their temper sometimes." And then her mother gave her a broad smile, and Chun'yan knew she was forgiven.

* * *

><p>71. Father<p>

Syaoran's pulse pounded in his ears, like the beating of a drum. _Why isn't she here? _he wondered, frozen in the palace entryway. _Sakura's _always _here._

Just as he was about to dissolve into a panic attack, he heard a series of light footsteps descending the stairs. He relaxed, realizing he'd been holding his breath. But it wasn't the princess that emerged at the bottom of the stairwell. It was a toddler, a girl with dark brown hair and—

Green eyes.

Syaoran had about one second, as the child's arms wrapped around his leg, to realize he'd become a father.

* * *

><p>72. In Between<p>

He felt the sudden suction, the twist of vertigo, and knew he was traveling.

Sakura's eyes flashed as she registered the change. Syaoran reached for her, hand trailing across her cheekbone even as his arm was pulled into the dimensional sea. "I'll come back," he called. He wasn't sure if he got the words out before the inter-dimensional waters swallowed him. His eyes closed, his arms wrapping around his torso to stave off the cold.

The space between worlds was cold. Not like Sakura, or Clow Country. But it was all he knew in the seconds he spent between worlds.


	25. Daughters, Depression, and School

_Author's Notes:_

_Two more drabbles today! The first one made me cry. But that might be because I recently read a really heartbreaking oneshot about Sakura and Syaoran's future. It's called "Fleeting Eternity." I highly recommend reading it, as it inspired these next few drabbles._

* * *

><p>73. Daughter (150)<p>

Syaoran took the tiny hand between his fingertips. She gazed at him, waiting for him to make the connection. A smile split her face, as carefree and exuberant as the princess's.

With a jolt, he realized there was a new princess now.

Behind him, Fai and Kurogane stopped moving. They said nothing as he knelt.

Syaoran wasn't sure what to do. Apologize? Smile? Introduce himself?

The child—_Can she really be my daughter?_—grinned wider and said, "Aren't you going to say anything, Dad?"

He took a shaky breath at the title. _She knows me, _he thought, unable to look away. The green eyes were undoubtedly Sakura's, but the girl's hair and the cheekbones . . . She was his daughter, too.

"What's your name?" They hadn't settled on one while Sakura had been pregnant. _I've missed so much._

"Rue."

_Like the flower . . . _A tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

><p>74. Pity<p>

Kurogane seldom felt pity, and empathy even less, but seeing the boy's slumped shoulders stung. _Though he's not a kid anymore . . . _

The ninja remembered how Syaoran had reacted to meeting his daughter. Kurogane had never had children, but he could guess the problem.

Reality had hit Syaoran hard. Becoming a father was challenge enough. Leaving your child behind had to hurt even worse.

Kurogane rested a hand on the kid's shoulder. "It'll be okay."

Syaoran glanced up, then back down. Kurogane caught the trail of saltwater on his face. "Thanks."

Just this once, Kurogane let him cry.

* * *

><p>75. School<p>

Sakura pulled the backpack over Rue's shoulders. "Be good and listen to your teachers."

Rue rolled her eyes. "I will, Mom."

Sakura ruffled her hair. "Good. And don't forget, your lunch is—"

"In my backpack. I know, Mom."

Sakura nodded. "That's right." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead, trying to hide the nascent tears in her eyes. Her arms wrapped around Rue's shoulders, and she felt an answering squeeze. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Mom." Rue slipped out of her embrace and walked over to the doors. She turned back, just once, to wave.


	26. Stones, Blood, and Tomorrow

76. Sticks and Stones

"It's him!" one of the children yelled, snatching a stone from the dirt and flinging it. Syaoran dodged the projectile.

"It's the one who stole the feather and ran away!" the boy yelled, crouching down to find another rock.

"You left our country in ruins!"

Understanding hit hard. They didn't mean _him_. They just didn't understand that he wore the same face as the one they feared.

They were children. Cruel, perhaps, but innocent. They didn't know.

Rocks flew from multiple directions now. One rock collided with his cheek, hard enough to bruise it.

Syaoran closed his eyes in surrender.

* * *

><p>77. Blood<p>

The sword pierced her dress, burying itself six inches into her heart.

Fai returned to himself, the last moments flickering through his mind. The compulsion, the need to destroy. _Not real, this isn't real . . ._

But it was. Sakura's blood flowed down the hilt. _My hands . . . _Fai thought. _My hands have always been stained red._

Sakura's head tilted forward, her face contorted in pain.

"Don't pull the sword out!" Kurogane shrieked. But Fai's arm kept moving, sliding the blade free. Blood gushed from Sakura's heart.

_Blood . . . My hands are covered in blood._

* * *

><p>78. Tomorrow<p>

Syaoran stared at the shingles, arms curled in to stave off the evening chill.

Tomorrow, they would leave Nihon and go to Clow Country. Tomorrow, they would defeat Fei Wong Reed and get the real Sakura back.

Or tomorrow, they would die.

Syaoran closed his eyes. His Sakura was waiting for him, in that world. The Sakura he loved. _It's worth it, _he told himself, images of her face flickering through his mind. _Whatever happens, I _will _keep her safe._

He tilted his head back. In the darkness, the clouds moved like shadows across the sky, smothering all starlight.

Tomorrow.


	27. Instincts, Birthdays, and Pancakes

79. Protective Instincts (150)

"_Hey_!"

Syaoran froze. He knew that voice.

He raced across the scraggly grass the castle gardeners had nurtured, trampling flowers under his feet. Instinct urged him to flee.

There was nothing more dangerous than an angry king, and Touya sounded furious.

"Get back here!"

Syaoran reached the garden's sakura tree and propelled himself through the boughs. Behind him, Touya reached the trunk. "Explain _this_."

Syaoran looked at the object in Touya's hands. When he recognized Sakura's birth control pills, his stomach dropped. "It wasn't _my _idea!"

Touya's face glowed red. He wielded the pack of pills like a weapon. "When did this start? How long have you been sleeping with my sister?"

_Calm down, _Syaoran thought. _Appeal to reason. _"Your Majesty, Sakura and I have been married for six _years_—"

The king cut him off. "I don't care how long you've been married to her—keep your hands off my sister!"

* * *

><p>80. Birthday<p>

Days were difficult to track when traveling through dimensions, but Syaoran paid attention to the amount of time that had passed between certain events.

When the pink hairpin caught his eye from the shop window, he slipped away from the others and bought it, slipping the treasure into his pocket.

That night, he went outside to find Sakura tinkering with her dragonfly racer. "Good evening, Syaoran."

"Good evening." He pulled the hairpin from his pocket. "I got you something."

She looked up. He held out the blossom-shaped hairpin, heart fluttering in his throat. It was now or never. "Happy birthday."

* * *

><p>81. Pancakes<p>

The batter spread out in the pan, creeping closer to the edges. Fai stared, inhaling, trying to convince himself that this was unrelated to the grotesque images playing over and over in his mind. Convincing himself that the slow spread of the pancake batter looked nothing at all like his brother's blood, spreading out from his cracked skull, across the gray stones of their prison.

_This is my penance, _Fai thought, hands trembling as he slid the spatula under the dough. Another deep breath. The scent of breakfast filled his nose, nauseatingly sweet compared to the metallic stench of blood.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Notes:<em>

_The first drabble was a continuation of drabble# 42, in which Touya discovered Sakura's birth control pills. This drabble answered the nagging question: what would Touya's response be to this discovery?_

_Anyway, I'm informally ending this fic. This means that, while I will still take requests, I won't post anything else from this point on unless inspiration strikes me in the middle of the night._


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